In order to continue our work during the quarantine, Safari Labs has created a virtual laboratory that we can all collaborate in. We call this "The Grid". Normally we go into The Grid by just taking a small colored pill, but we don't have enough for all the teams, and our new shipment didn't arrive in time for Puzzle Safari. So, please follow these instructions so that you can enter The Grid with us.
Please make sure that you can successfully launch and enter the main lab area before the day of the event. We cannot provide tech support on event day.
You must have the 64-bit version of the Java Runtime Environment installed.
Download and run the installer for the 64-bit Java runtime for Windows.
Right click on the following link and save the file to a empty folder on your computer. Once it is complete, open the file or double click on it in Windows File Explorer. The first time you run the launcher, it will download additional files into the folder that it is in.
You can also run it from a command line by typing java -jar TheGrid.jar
The Grid doesn't run in a virtual machine, Windows Sandbox, or over RDP. Please use locally.
The Grid runs at the current resolution of your monitor. If you have a 4K monitor, the frame rate will be very slow. It is recommended to run at no higher than 1920x1080. Once running you can switch from windowed to full-screen by pressing F11.
Enter your team name or other unique name. Only A-Z, a-z (no spaces), 3-16 letters. This name will be visible to other teams.
Click the button. Be patient.
When you first log in, you may appear "inside" someone else and see weirdness or all black. Move around a bit (hold down W) and you should see the initial laboratory.
Moving around The Grid should be familiar to anyone who has played a first person video game. Use the keys W, A, S, D to move around, and use the mouse to turn and look around. Press Spacebar to jump. Use Ctrl to run faster. The right mouse button is used to interact with items, such as buttons.
You can switch between full screen and windowed mode by pressing F11. On some computers (especially multi-monitor setups, full screen mode doesn't work well. Switch back to windowed if that happends (F11 again).
Once you are in The Grid, you can begin one of the tasks by pressing the letter "C", typing the phrase you will be given, and pressing Enter. You will receive further instructions on the screen.
When you have completed a task, take a picture of the ending screen with your phone or camera and submit that photo. Don't use the PrtSc key to take a screen shot; we have gotten reports of crashes or even blue screens when doing that.
If you get stuck, press "C" and then type "restart" to restart a task.
You can chat with other people in The Grid. This can be fun. Press "C", then type your message and press enter. Everyone else in The Grid will see your message.
If you need to adjust the screen brightness:
If you need to adjust the mouse sensitivity:
Type "/ping" and hit Enter to see your ping time (in milliseconds) to the server. Lower is better, under 200 is fine, over 300 you may experience issues.
To leave The Grid:
The Grid itself is a completely self-contained directory; nothing on your computer outside the directory is changed. Just delete the directory that you downloaded to entirely.
Use the usual Windows Add/Remove Programs to remove the Java Runtime Environment.